New laws set to take effect in Minnesota include ‘ban-the-box’ extension

Minnesota – A new set of laws are set to take effect in Minnesota this week including the extension of a state law regulating when public employers can ask job applicants whether they have a criminal record or history. As reported by the Star Tribune, the “ban-the-box” law will be extended to private employers, mandating that they wait until after an applicant has been selected for an interview before asking the information.

Minnesota is the third state to extend the law to all employers, after Hawaii and Massachusetts.

Mark Haase, vice president of the Minneapolis-based Council on Crime and Justice, an organization that lobbied for the change, is quoted as stating in the report, “Research shows that when somebody with a criminal record can have face-to-face contact, they have more of a chance to get hired rather than have their application thrown in the trash.

“That will be good not only for people trying to turn their lives around and support their families, but also to have this growing segment of the population gainfully employed is helpful to the business community because they’ve been missing out on some wonderful employees.”

Other laws set to take effect in the state include those pertaining to health care, estate sales, scrap metal, and chemical spills.